NEW ORLEANS — When he played in Washington, Carlos Rogers was regarded as the Redskins' No. 2 cover corner behind the flashier, overrated DeAngelo Hall. That impression hurt Rogers' value and kept him from being paid as he should.

Now into his 30s and after two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Rogers is appreciated a lot more. The 2011 Pro Bowler has so far earned every bit of the four-year, $29.3 million contract he signed that year to become the Niners' undisputed top corner.

As he prepares to play on the NFL's biggest stage for the first time, Rogers is appreciative of the long road it took to get there.

"I'm not like Randy (Moss) or Cowboy (49ers defensive end Justin Smith) where it's toward the end of my career," Rogers said Tuesday. "I hope not, but it being my eighth year and all that I've been through, just to top it all off right now to go to the Super Bowl is unbelievable."

The 6-foot, 199-pound Rogers was underused in Washington. San Francisco's 3-4 scheme has allowed him to show his versatility and be a more active playmaker.

"I play on the left side when most quarterbacks are right-handed," Rogers said. "I've played in the slot on third downs to take away some of those guys. They let me do some blitzing, and sometimes, I have to go play safety.

"They have given me a lot of opportunities to show a lot of my talent."